Three days later.
On the road from Kumogakure to the Land of Hot Water.
A long black column wound its way forward.
One thousand ninja, all dressed in dark combat uniforms, carried kunai pouches at their waists and swords of varying lengths on their backs.
Their march kicked up clouds of dust.
At the head of the column, Yugito Nii's long hair streamed in the wind.
The presence of the Kumogakure Shinobi sent birds scattering from the roadside trees.
Whenever passing merchants spotted the column, they hurried to the roadside, their faces pale.
Even the farmers working in the roadside fields stopped what they were doing and watched from afar, their eyes filled with terror.
The column made no deliberate attempt to conceal its movements.
Or rather, they had never intended to hide them in the first place.
Yugito's gaze swept over the figure near the front of the column: Darui.
This young, dark-skinned ninja was a guard of the Fourth Raikage and the deputy commander of this operation.
He was tall and muscular, with short black hair that stood on end and a perpetually lazy smile at the corners of his mouth.
The young man always looked as though he had yet to wake up properly.
Yugito watched his back with a complicated look in her eyes.
On paper, she was the commander of this operation.
The deterrent power of a perfect jinchuriki was enough to strike fear into any opponent.
But only she knew that Mabui had approached her in secret before their departure.
"Lady Yugito, Lord Raikage asked me to tell you that Darui will be the actual commander of this operation."
Yugito had raised an eyebrow without saying anything.
Mabui continued:
"Lord Raikage said Kumogakure needs strength, but it also needs wisdom."
"Darui has that potential,